- Laura

But this work isn't about me, it's about you & your story.

I'm the photographer who meets you where you are.

Photo shoots with me are down to earth and low pressure, so you can ditch the stress.

Hi!

- About New York Photographer Laura Volpacchio Simon -


Hudson Valley | NYC | Hamptons | Westchester | Fairfield County

 Just show up and be you - I'll do the rest.

I can handle cranky kids (and spouses). Our family session will be playful and fun and yield beautiful family photos that really feel like you.

I'll clean up your newborn's spit up at our newborn photography session, hold them in the colic hold, burp them, and pick out your outfit for you. I'm a new Mama - I get it.

I can make art out of your elopement without ruining the whole point of eloping (ugh, do we really need to deal with elopement photography? We just want this to be easy - it will be effortless, and probably fun).

I'll conspire with you to make your secret proposal photo shoot go seamlessly, creating imagery to honor & remember that millisecond that alters the course of your lives forever.

I'll stalk your business website and listen to every single detail of who you are and what you do to art direct your branding session and create brand photos that will connect you more fully to your clients.

As an artist with a diverse background, I am equipped to take care of my vast array of wonderfully unique clients.

I emphasize authenticity in all of my work. That means you have only one job on shoot day - be yourself. Seriously, it's that simple. Be with your kids, be with your love, have a conversation with me.

Hudson Valley Elopement Photography

Westchester Newborn Photography Session 

Does any of this ring true for you? If it does, I'm probably your photographer.

You're looking for professional photography that is timeless and authentic. Beautiful and down to earth. Not a posed, stuffy photography portrait session with forced smiles. And please no matching outfits. Not a newborn photo shoot with the baby stuffed into a shoe or a basket or dressed up like produce.

You're over scrolling endlessly on your phone to find that one photo you love. You want to invest in a lifestyle photography experience that produces gorgeous artwork you can hang in your home or create an heirloom album with, so that these special images can be passed down rather than disappear into the cloud. And you want them to be really real. True to you & yours.

Maybe you're nervous the kids won't behave for a family photo shoot and need someone who won't judge & can keep it light and fun. Or you are so overwhelmed with a newborn but really want pictures and need someone to take the reins. Maybe you're planning a proposal that you would love to have photographed but want someone who can work out all the details of the moving parts. Or you're eloping and feel like you want photos but also don't want it to be such a big deal that it ruins the whole point of eloping. Maybe you want photos to represent your brand and need someone who genuinely cares about your work. 

Westchester Child Photography 

Westchester Family Photography 

about...you

I’m a multifaceted portrait photographer based in the Hudson Valley and serving NYC (I called Manhattan home for 12 years), Westchester, The Hamptons (Sag Harbor is my place!) & parts of Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut (my home state).

I was the little girl who wore a tutu and spun around the living room saying: “look Mommy!” (I still do this, but now my husband, pup and babe are the captive audience). Before I became a professional photographer, I was a professional dancer in NYC.

Wherever dance brought me, my camera came along. I love photographing new places and people and have a knack for seeing and appreciating the beauty that’s present in everyday life. Photography connects me to gratitude, and that helped me during tough moments on the road. I printed photos of my loved ones and taped them to the mirror in every new dressing room - their photos brought me great comfort and helped me feel more connected to my people while I was so far from them.

Now that I'm a mom, I appreciate photography in an entirely different way. Kids have a way of zapping you right into the present moment. Photography is one way to honor the now. I consider it a great privilege to help my clients see and capture the beauty in their lives, and get that art up on their walls and into their homes - so that on those days (you catch my drift?) you have some tangible, visual, in-real-life (please let's get photos off of your phone!) reminders to gaze at & reconnect to the beauty that's underneath it all.

Laura Volpacchio Simon - Westchester Family Photographer

about laura

I photograph not only because I love looking at the world, putting it into a frame, playing with light and creating art. I photograph for the connection I make with my subject(s), giving them room to be seen as they are. I photograph to witness and encourage connection between families, friends, kids and loves. I photograph to encourage gratitude, making artwork out of seemingly mundane moments. I photograph for the parents who will look back on their photos in 20 years and say “can you believe his toes were really that small?” I photograph to help entrepreneurs, artists, online daters and corporates alike express who they are through images so that they can grow their business, their work, their network, and their lives. Also – it’s quite a lot of fun behind the lens.

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my work. I hope to create with you soon.

MY Why

MY STORY »

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Actually, let's be honest. First: food. But then: family.

I come from a large Italian-Irish family and married a Jewish boy. We love our family time over here, and yes - it can get quite loud.

I get how important the connection to family is, and my goal as a photographer is to capture that for you, so that you can look at your images on your walls everyday and be reminded of that connection.

This is amazing for the wellbeing of your kiddos especially. Seeing photos of themselves with their loved ones reminds them that they are safe, loved & belong. 


Stunning photo by my wedding photographers, Feather & Twine. 

family

but first...

In 2014 I hit a wall - I felt totally blah, uninspired, and not sure what to do next. Through a series of synchronicities, I ended up on a volunteer trip to Vietnam for the summer. I lived in a rural village where I taught English and danced around in the dirt. It was hard, and it was deeply meaningful. I think I learned a lot more than I taught, and the biggest take away was "woah - I think I have to work with kids." 

That trip inspired me to start working with kids stateside and I worked for years as a  Teaching Artist for various different organizations, teaching dance & creative movement to kids from pre-K through 5th grade, with a strong focus on neurodiversity. It is deeply meaningful & important (and  challenging) work for me. 

I love dancing with kids, and I love photographing them. I've truly worked with all types of children and my goal is always to meet them where they are. I will be 100% comfortable with your children, regardless of what state they are in. Dance parties always welcome.

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artist

teaching

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I'm happiest in the woods, and hubs and I are so excited to have made the move up to the Hudson Valley from NYC. We live in the artsy, beautiful, always interesting riverside town of Beacon, just a train ride from the big apple.

I lived in NYC for over ten years and though I often thrive off of its immense energy and punch-you-in-the-face vibrance, I never feel more connected than when I'm amongst trees.

NYC helped me learn photographic technique - composition, using and manipulating light, posing, framing, all that jazz - but the natural world helps me to be quiet and still enough to really see what's there.

I love traveling and shooting on location, and I'm never afraid to get dirty while shooting (sometimes to a fault, once I accidentally lied down in goose poop - but I got the shot!)

Nature Girl

city girl

read jennifer's
 full testimonial 

"Laura makes her art collaborative, flexible and unique, and made me feel motivated, capable, and beautiful in ways that I never thought were possible for me."

Behind The Scenes

For the nature lovers who want some non-human photos up on the walls. Custom framed, limited edition pieces & available for comission depending on availability.
Browse artwork.

ARTWORK

&

Going somewhere? Hosting a retreat? In charge of a non-profit serving communities around the globe and in need of documentation? I'm all in.
  Check out my work abroad. 

TRAVEL

Let's plan your photo shoot!